An analysis of Season 1 Episode 6 of The Vampire Diaries through the Sex Role Perspective.

  • Femininity Characteristic Examples: 
    • The character of Katherine Pierce is introduced. Katherine Pierce is the doppelgänger of Elena Gilbert, meaning they look exactly alike, however, their personalities are extremely opposite. Katherine Pierce was an assertive, controlling woman – indicating more characters that are commonly associated with masculinity. Katherine Pierce is resisting the gender female stereotypes of being passive and modest and demonstrating a different version of woman on the show: someone who knows what she wants and will not let anyone stop her from achieving that.
    • Vicki Donovan is in a really fragile state as she’s transitioning to become a vampire. She is consistently seen crying and panicking throughout the show, being extremely vulnerable. This vulnerability demonstrates the feminine stereotype of being emotional and sensitive, common feminine traits when associated with female stereotypes. While in this state, despite all the craziness, the main thought on her head is Jeremy her boyfriend – another example of a female stereotype of women only caring about boys. 
  • Masculinity Characteristic Examples:
    • In terms of masculinity, Damon Salvatore still remains the prominent figure demonstrating toxic masculinity: violence, bossiness, threatening those to get what he wants. All of the actions associated with Damon show how power in this show is associated with violence, and to remain on top, you need to assert your dominance in ways that represent toxic masculinity. 
    • Stefan Salvatore resists the toxic masculinity stereotype by being empathetic and gentle with Elena as she discovers the truth about vampires. 

Shared by: Alexis Masino
Image Credit: https://vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Lost_Girls